http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090423-231622
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articl ... ed0366.htm
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090314-122313 (St. Thomas More)

"If you don't keep in touch with Christ in prayer and in the Bread, how can you make him known to others?"
(St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #105)

]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090311-174209 http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090306-233217 here to see what I wrote on the Pope's message for lent two years ago. ]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090225-131650
"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials."

St. Teresa of Avila

May we bear our trials joyfully this Lent and cling the more closely to Christ.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090131-000710
"Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090130-223452

Dear Friends of St. Michael’s

On February 10th the new Abbey CD, entitled “Anthology,” will be released. We are all very excited by this upcoming event as it provides an excellent opportunity to make the Abbey and our Expansion Project more widely known. Youtube already has a preview of the CD. Please help us in getting the word out about the CD by forwarding the following notation:

Here is a link to a preview of the new St. Michael’s Abbey CD to be released on February 10th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4LEwtA_Nbo. [If it doesn't pop up correctly, search "Norbertine Fathers" to find the video.]

It promises to be an even better seller than their Christmas CD. Please circulate this link to as many persons as possible to get the word out. The CD will be available for purchase at several websites including:

http://stmichaelsabbey.com/Abbey-Store.html
http://www.Amazon.com and
http://www.monasterygreetings.com

I thank you in advance for your help and assure you of the prayers of all the confreres.

Sincerely in Christ,



The Right Reverend Eugene J. Hayes, O.Praem.
Abbot]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090123-221857 Go here to see the new portal to the Pope.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry090106-141953
"Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray."]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081130-021150 Holy Father's address of 11.12.08 in Paris. The point of what he says here is that education, ultimately, is geared toward knowing and serving God and understanding His Word. One of the main reasons one learns to read and to read well is to be able to read and understand the Bible, and in so doing, a door is opened to better know Christ.


"The longing for God, the désir de Dieu, includes amour des lettres, love of the word, exploration of all its dimensions. Because in the biblical word God comes towards us and we towards him, we must learn to penetrate the secret of language, to understand it in its construction and in the manner of its expression. Thus it is through the search for God that the secular sciences take on their importance, sciences which show us the path towards language. Because the search for God required the culture of the word, it was appropriate that the monastery should have a library, pointing out pathways to the word. It was also appropriate to have a school, in which these pathways could be opened up. Benedict calls the monastery a dominici servitii schola. The monastery serves eruditio, the formation and education of man – a formation whose ultimate aim is that man should learn how to serve God. But it also includes the formation of reason – education – through which man learns to perceive, in the midst of words, the Word itself."]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081128-233742 – St. Francis of Assisi]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081118-171609
Here are twenty-five students’ reflections on the event:

#1
We kept saying Hail Mary’s ... it seemed like time had changed into eternity, and the only tense was present. I offered myself to God so one baby, or more, could be saved. When the policewoman said we had to be on the sidewalk, I remembered one of Father’s homilies where the police arrested a woman for shaking holy water on an abortion clinic. I saw many cars on the way there who obviously didn’t support babies’ lives. It was awakening to see how people were so pro-abortion and how important it is for us to pray for them and babies. This was my first encounter with the police on a prayer mission, and it made me focus on those who are, sadly, against life. Now I’ve learned one powerful thing: we must not step down!

#2
Coming from a public school, I’ve never done anything like this before. I have never really prayed in front of non-Catholics before, besides my best friend. I thought it would be extremely awkward praying near a hospital in the heart of Saint Paul, and it was, but only at first. Those unborn babies need prayers more than anything else, and I’m willing to pray in front of anyone for an innocent life to be safe. We are the soldiers of Christ, so we better start acting like soldiers, and we can begin by praying for the unborn, right at the place where they’re being murdered. A hospital is supposed to be a place for life, not death.

#3
I loved it that we were silent on the way there and back. For some reason, it was not as hard to keep quiet as I thought. Maybe, it was because I was in a state of prayer, and my heart and mind were on those babies. I liked that the students got to lead the decades this time, and it was easier to hear because of the megaphone. This is probably the best field trip of the year because as Mrs. Coone said, we were actually on battleground. We always pray for the unborn, and that’s a great thing, but to actually be there where innocent lives are being taken away is very powerful and moving. We were also being witnesses to the public who stopped and stared. It really felt like we were being soldiers for Christ.

#4
Going to the Regions Hospital was a good experience for the junior high and me. I definitely found it surprising that the policewoman asked us to get off the grass. Other than that, the trip to the hospital and back was done in silence. I liked that. We did prayers and sacrifices for the babies who don’t have voices. It is hard to not speak for thirty minutes, and the poor babies are going to be killed and they can’t even say anything. I definitely liked this experience. I was going to complain about how my knees hurt when we were kneeling, but it is nothing compared to the hurt of abortion.

#5
I thought that it was very special to take time out of our day to go pray for babies. Praying the rosary was vey nice, and I wish we could have knelt more. I thought it was weird when the policewoman told us to move. I don’t get it because we were being very peaceful. Another weird thing was that the hospital looked so huge and wonderful on the outside but was really killing innocent babies.

#6
Praying at the hospital gave me time to reflect on what I was really praying. It actually made me think about what I was praying for. So this trip that we had was very helpful so that I wasn’t all distracted when I was at home. I hope to do this again sometime.

#7
I think that what we did was beautiful. I know some observers didn’t like it, but I think it was glorious. I really believe we did save a few lives. Whether someone in the hospital or someone driving by, we still changed hearts. I think Jesus and Mary were happy too!

#8
I think we may have saved lives through this prayer. The people walking by noticed us and maybe thought about what we were saying. I prayed for the doctors I saw outside. I saw the people in their cars look at us. I prayed for them too.

#9
I think it was a wonderful idea to pray the rosary in front of the hospital. I feel so sorry for the babies that have been and are being aborted. I didn’t feel funny or embarrassed. I felt proud to be a Catholic. I was glad we prayed for the end of abortion because it really needs to stop. It isn’t fair some babies will never get to see a beautiful day like today. I hope we saved at least one babies’ life.

#10
I think it was a great thing, what we just did. I didn’t care about anyone watching us because I knew it was a good thing to do! It was a great blessing to be able to do that. At the time when we were praying, I was deep in thought and prayer. My thoughts were about all the babies who might have been or were going to be aborted there. Also on the bus ride there and back, I was praying. I’m glad we had an opportunity like that.

#11
I think we were doing a great thing praying, and I hope we changed the heart of some mom that was going to have an abortion. I enjoyed doing this. I thought it was a great way to pray and to offer sacrifice. As I was saying the rosary, I almost cried thinking about how anyone could even think of killing a baby because it’s just such a horrible sin. I can only hope as we pray more and more for this to end, that more and more mothers will stop aborting babies. I hope we pray there again.

#12
I thought the prayer vigil was very sad. When Mrs. Coone said we were sitting on the battlefield, I was surprised, but I realized the killing was happening inside. We were also not fighting with guns, or swords or any other deadly thing. We were fighting with our love. I could just see and feel the pain those babies were going through. It was just very sad some people looked at us like we were crazy. After, I was thinking about how somebody can just kill a living, breathing person. It’s if someone came into your house and killed your sister.

#13
I thought that being at Regions praying for all the little babies that could not speak up for themselves was very charitable and is a good way to earn grace. At first I was afraid to be there praying in public, but I got over it.

#14
I always love to go to Regions to pray for all those abortions being committed so that they stop. Many people tend to look at us and wonder what in the world we are doing, and it does feel strange, but that’s o.k. I also notice that every once in a while people who are against abortion will come up and congratulate us for what we are doing. I am very glad we had the chance to go there this year.

#15
It was very horrible to think that as we were praying, babies were being murdered right there in front of us! But, it was an awesome thought that we were praying for the babies and their mom and dad. I just hope people will change their ways and hearts and not abort babies who are unable to speak for themselves.

#16
It was very peaceful on the bus when we didn’t talk. I think it really made a difference because we got a taste of what the babies get, not being able to talk. Also, I thought that it was a prayerful time too, because we couldn’t talk out loud so we talked silently to God in our hearts.

#17
I thought it was very cool. It was also awesome that we might’ve been the only ones praying for the silent babies that might have been aborted at that time. I also thought it brought the junior high together, especially the boys. The boys volunteered to lead the rosaries, and I would have thought some of those boys were too cool to do that.

#18
I thought that being silent on the way there was very loving for all the babies. It was my first time going there because I was sick last year, and I loved praying and meditating on the prayers. It was comforting knowing that you could be saving a life.

#19
I thought that our field trip was a great experience. I liked that we took turns leading the rosary. It was awesome to think that we might have spared a life. I hope we get to do this next year because it was wonderful that we got to go to out on the battlefield and really fight to save lives.

#20
I thought our field trip to Regions Hospital was great! It was really nice that everyone was quiet on the bus. When we were at the hospital everyone was very respectful and reverent during the rosary. Also I know that a lot of people noticed us and knew why we were there. FI hope this is something we continue to do because it was very meaningful and beautiful.

#21
I think the field trip to Regions Hospital was great. It really made me stop and think about all the unborn babies that are being killed. I think we should do this every year. It’s a great experience. I also think the trip in silence was very special since we represent the babies who can’t speak.

#22
I had a good time. It felt goo to do something about abortion. I don’t care that people honked and stuff like that. I am glad we did this.

#23
I thought it was a great experience for us because now we know that abortion is real and they are killing babies. Today, even though it was tiring, we did the right thing.

#24
Praying the rosary at Regions Hospital made me feel nervous and good. I was only nervous at the beginning though because you don’t see a group of people wearing the same thing walking around in circles every day. After a while I wasn’t nervous anymore, and that’s when I felt good. I felt good because we were praying and because we were doing it for a good cause.

#25
I thought that it was really nice to actually go and pray the rosary right where the abortions were actually happening. Next time I think that we should pray the rosary on the bus too. Some people fell asleep so maybe that would help them to stay awake. I also liked how you had different people lead the different decades. It was a fun field trip I thought.
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081118-164827 – St. Phillip Neri]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081116-234002 here to read my thoughts on this.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081107-131118 – St. Anthony Mary Claret]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081023-220209 – St. John Chrysostom

Defeat
"The saints are those who struggle right to the end of their lives, who always get up each time they stumble, each time they fall, and courageously embark on their way once more with humility, love and hope."
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #186
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081013-130437 – St. Therese of Lisieux]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry081011-225643 Go here to watch what Sarah Palin said concerning protecting the life of unborn children today in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is an awesome statement and worth sharing with others.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080930-153456
To find out more details go here.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080911-095811
The teachers and I used this shortened text as a meditation at the end of August. Although he was talking to clergy, much of what he said was applicable and inspiring to us, teachers.

Click over on the right where it says, "Pope Benedict XVI's Answers the Clergy," or click here to go to directly to the page.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080909-141413 http://www.catholiceducation.org/articl ... ap0261.htm. This is an important read for both men and women. Enjoy.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080905-231330 Here is a quote about abandoning ourselves into God's hands and the source of our joy as Christians:
"We are at Jesus' disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed, if he wants you to proclaim His work in the street, if he wants you to clean the toilets all day, that's all right, everything is all right. We must say, 'I belong to you. You can do whatever you like.' And this is our strength, and this is the joy of the Lord."
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080904-181035 That those who are forced to leave home and country because of war or oppressive regimes may be supported by Christians in the defense and protection of their rights.
Mission:
That faithful to the sacrament of matrimony every Christian family may cultivate the values of love and communion in order to be a small evangelizing community, sensitive and open to the material and spiritual needs of others

My Thoughts: every Christian family is called to a deep love and communion of persons so that it can be a mini-evangelizing community generous in its service to others. We families have a very high calling.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080904-180343 Do you think people are grateful for services rendered only reluctantly? Evidently not. You might even say it would have been better not to have bothered.

And yet you think you can serve God with sour looks? No you can't! You have to serve him cheerfully, in spite of your wretchedness, which we will be able to get rid of with God's grace."

– Saint Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #308]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080904-180226 – Pope St. Gregory the Great]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080826-101457
This was said by St. Joseph Calasanz who lived from 1556-1648 and counted Galileo as his friend. He left his successful job in the world to become a priest and provide poor children the opportunity for an education. A religious community grew out of his work with the poor, and so he founded the Piarists to educate poor children. Go here to read more.

Today is his feast day.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080719-130627 James said over at his blog.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080718-010657
What a delight it is to greet you here at Barangaroo, on the shores of the magnificent Sydney harbour, with its famous bridge and Opera House. Many of you are local, from the outback or the dynamic multicultural communities of Australian cities. Others of you have come from the scattered islands of Oceania, and others still from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Some of you, indeed, have come from as far as I have, Europe! Wherever we are from, we are here at last in Sydney. And together we stand in our world as God’s family, disciples of Christ, empowered by his Spirit to be witnesses of his love and truth for everyone!

I wish firstly to thank the Aboriginal Elders who welcomed me prior to my boarding the boat at Rose Bay. I am deeply moved to stand on your land, knowing the suffering and injustices it has borne, but aware too of the healing and hope that are now at work, rightly bringing pride to all Australian citizens. To the young indigenous - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders - and the Tokelauans, I express my thanks for your stirring welcome. Through you, I send heartfelt greetings to your peoples.

Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Wilson, I thank you for your warm words of welcome. I know that your sentiments resonate in the hearts of the young gathered here this evening, and so I thank you all. Standing before me I see a vibrant image of the universal Church. The variety of nations and cultures from which you hail shows that indeed Christ’s Good News is for everyone; it has reached the ends of the earth. Yet I know too that a good number of you are still seeking a spiritual homeland. Some of you, most welcome among us, are not Catholic or Christian. Others of you perhaps hover at the edge of parish and Church life. To you I wish to offer encouragement: step forward into Christ’s loving embrace; recognize the Church as your home. No one need remain on the outside, for from the day of Pentecost the Church has been one and universal.

This evening I wish also to include those who are not present among us. I am thinking especially of the sick or mentally ill, young people in prison, those struggling on the margins of our societies, and those who for whatever reason feel alienated from the Church. To them I say: Jesus is close to you! Feel his healing embrace, his compassion and mercy!

Almost two thousand years ago, the Apostles, gathered in the upper room together with Mary and some faithful women, were filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14; 2:4). At that extraordinary moment, which gave birth to the Church, the confusion and fear that had gripped Christ’s disciples were transformed into a vigorous conviction and sense of purpose. They felt impelled to speak of their encounter with the risen Jesus whom they had come to call affectionately, the Lord. In many ways, the Apostles were ordinary. None could claim to be the perfect disciple. They failed to recognize Christ (cf. Lk 24:13-32), felt ashamed of their own ambition (cf. Lk 22:24-27), and had even denied him (cf. Lk 22:54-62). Yet, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, they were transfixed by the truth of Christ’s Gospel and inspired to proclaim it fearlessly. Emboldened, they exclaimed: repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:37-38)! Grounded in the Apostles’ teaching, in fellowship, and in the breaking of the bread and prayer (cf. Acts 2:42), the young Christian community moved forward to oppose the perversity in the culture around them (cf. Acts 2:40), to care for one another (cf. Acts 2:44-47), to defend their belief in Jesus in the face of hostility (cf Acts 4:33), and to heal the sick (cf. Acts 5:12-16). And in obedience to Christ’s own command, they set forth, bearing witness to the greatest story ever: that God has become one of us, that the divine has entered human history in order to transform it, and that we are called to immerse ourselves in Christ’s saving love which triumphs over evil and death. Saint Paul, in his famous speech to the Areopagus, introduced the message in this way: "God gives everything – including life and breath – to everyone … so that all nations might seek God and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. In fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17: 25-28).

And ever since, men and women have set out to tell the same story, witnessing to Christ’s truth and love, and contributing to the Church’s mission. Today, we think of those pioneering Priests, Sisters and Brothers who came to these shores, and to other parts of the Pacific, from Ireland, France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe. The great majority were young - some still in their late teens - and when they bade farewell to their parents, brothers and sisters, and friends, they knew they were unlikely ever to return home. Their whole lives were a selfless Christian witness. They became the humble but tenacious builders of so much of the social and spiritual heritage which still today brings goodness, compassion and purpose to these nations. And they went on to inspire another generation. We think immediately of the faith which sustained Blessed Mary MacKillop in her sheer determination to educate especially the poor, and Blessed Peter To Rot in his steadfast resolution that community leadership must always include the Gospel. Think also of your own grandparents and parents, your first teachers in faith. They too have made countless sacrifices of time and energy, out of love for you. Supported by your parish priests and teachers, they have the task, not always easy but greatly satisfying, of guiding you towards all that is good and true, through their own witness - their teaching and living of our Christian faith.

Today, it is my turn. For some of us, it might seem like we have come to the end of the world! For people of your age, however, any flight is an exciting prospect. But for me, this one was somewhat daunting! Yet the views afforded of our planet from the air were truly wondrous. The sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north African desert, the lushness of Asia’s forestation, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the horizon upon which the sun rose and set, and the majestic splendour of Australia’s natural beauty which I have been able to enjoy these last couple of days; these all evoke a profound sense of awe. It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story - light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth, and living creatures; all of which are "good" in God’s eyes (cf. Gen 1:1 - 2:4). Immersed in such beauty, who could not echo the words of the Psalmist in praise of the Creator: "how majestic is your name in all the earth?" (Ps 8:1).

And there is more – something hardly perceivable from the sky – men and women, made in nothing less than God’s own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). At the heart of the marvel of creation are you and I, the human family "crowned with glory and honour" (Ps 8:5). How astounding! With the Psalmist we whisper: "what is man that you are mindful of him?" (Ps 8:4). And drawn into silence, into a spirit of thanksgiving, into the power of holiness, we ponder.

What do we discover? Perhaps reluctantly we come to acknowledge that there are also scars which mark the surface of our earth: erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world’s mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption. Some of you come from island nations whose very existence is threatened by rising water levels; others from nations suffering the effects of devastating drought. God’s wondrous creation is sometimes experienced as almost hostile to its stewards, even something dangerous. How can what is "good" appear so threatening?

And there is more. What of man, the apex of God’s creation? Every day we encounter the genius of human achievement. From advances in medical sciences and the wise application of technology, to the creativity reflected in the arts, the quality and enjoyment of people’s lives in many ways are steadily rising. Among yourselves there is a readiness to take up the plentiful opportunities offered to you. Some of you excel in studies, sport, music, or dance and drama, others of you have a keen sense of social justice and ethics, and many of you take up service and voluntary work. All of us, young and old, have those moments when the innate goodness of the human person - perhaps glimpsed in the gesture of a little child or an adult’s readiness to forgive - fills us with profound joy and gratitude.

Yet such moments do not last. So again, we ponder. And we discover that not only the natural but also the social environment – the habitat we fashion for ourselves – has its scars; wounds indicating that something is amiss. Here too, in our personal lives and in our communities, we can encounter a hostility, something dangerous; a poison which threatens to corrode what is good, reshape who we are, and distort the purpose for which we have been created. Examples abound, as you yourselves know. Among the more prevalent are alcohol and drug abuse, and the exaltation of violence and sexual degradation, often presented through television and the internet as entertainment. I ask myself, could anyone standing face to face with people who actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation "explain" that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are considered merely "entertainment"?

There is also something sinister which stems from the fact that freedom and tolerance are so often separated from truth. This is fuelled by the notion, widely held today, that there are no absolute truths to guide our lives. Relativism, by indiscriminately giving value to practically everything, has made "experience" all-important. Yet, experiences, detached from any consideration of what is good or true, can lead, not to genuine freedom, but to moral or intellectual confusion, to a lowering of standards, to a loss of self-respect, and even to despair.

Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose (cf. Gen 1:28)! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences, helpful though many of them are. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy. Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.

Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the "way" which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. This is the life of the Church. And the entrance to this life, to the Christian way, is Baptism.

This evening I wish therefore to recall briefly something of our understanding of Baptism before tomorrow considering the Holy Spirit. On the day of your Baptism, God drew you into his holiness (cf. 2 Pet 1:4). You were adopted as a son or daughter of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Baptism is neither an achievement, nor a reward. It is a grace; it is God’s work. Indeed, towards the conclusion of your Baptism, the priest turned to your parents and those gathered and, calling you by your name said: "you have become a new creation" (Rite of Baptism, 99).

Dear friends, in your homes, schools and universities, in your places of work and recreation, remember that you are a new creation! Not only do you stand before the Creator in awe, rejoicing at his works, you also realize that the sure foundation of humanity’s solidarity lies in the common origin of every person, the high-point of God’s creative design for the world. As Christians you stand in this world knowing that God has a human face - Jesus Christ - the "way" who satisfies all human yearning, and the "life" to which we are called to bear witness, walking always in his light (cf. ibid., 100).

The task of witness is not easy. There are many today who claim that God should be left on the sidelines, and that religion and faith, while fine for individuals, should either be excluded from the public forum altogether or included only in the pursuit of limited pragmatic goals. This secularist vision seeks to explain human life and shape society with little or no reference to the Creator. It presents itself as neutral, impartial and inclusive of everyone. But in reality, like every ideology, secularism imposes a world-view. If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image, and debate and policy concerning the public good will be driven more by consequences than by principles grounded in truth.

Yet experience shows that turning our back on the Creator’s plan provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order (cf. 1990 World Day of Peace Message, 5). When God is eclipsed, our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the "good" begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation. And so we have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world.

But what of our social environment? Are we equally alert to the signs of turning our back on the moral structure with which God has endowed humanity (cf. 2007 World Day of Peace Message, 8)? Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his or her deepest identity - as image of the Creator - and therefore that human rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise? And so we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space – the womb – has become a place of unutterable violence?

My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable. Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080713-002530
This is how it begins:

"Is it a certain madness, a certain distraction of mind, induced by the sudden onset of summer heat? The polls in early June find Barack Obama notably behind among Evangelicals and whites, but--wonder of wonders--actually holding a slight edge, of a point or two, among Catholics.

Some of our readers know that I was associated with the drafting of the “most modest first step of all on abortion,” the bill to preserve the life of the child who survived an abortion. It was called, in that awful legislative style, the Born-Alive Infants’ Protection Act. When it finally passed the Congress in 2002, not a single Democrat in Congress voted in opposition. But Barack Obama, as a Senator in Illinois, actually led the opposition to the comparable measure in that state, and as the chairman of a legislative committee managed to kill it. How does one explain then this close division among Catholics, with a tilt actually in his favor? And what is the worse account: that most Catholics in the country simply do not know about his radical, pro-abortion position, or that American Catholics by now have heard about Obama’s position, and they don’t especially care?"

Go here to read the rest.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080630-101137
The first article is about Pope Pius XI on Catholic education:

In 1929--the same year in which the stock market crashed here in the United States--Pope Pius XI wrote the encyclical Divini Illius Magistri on Christian education. My junior high Latin students could tell you that a literal translation of the title would read "Of that Divine Teacher," referring, of course, to our Lord--the master of all teachers.


Pius XI The document is certainly worth reading in its entirety. Below I offer my readers but one small portion of that great work which highlights the necessity of allowing the Catholic faith to penetrate the whole of a school's existence, and not merely its religion classes.

The mere fact that a school gives some religious instruction (often extremely stinted), does not bring it into accord with the rights of the Church and of the Christian family, or make it a fit place for Catholic students. To be this, it is necessary that all the teaching and the whole organization of the school, and its teachers, syllabus and text-books in every branch, be regulated by the Christian spirit, under the direction and maternal supervision of the Church; so that Religion may be in very truth the foundation and crown of the youth's entire training; and this in every grade of school, not only the elementary, but the intermediate and the higher institutions of learning as well. To use the words of Leo XIII:

"It is necessary not only that religious instruction be given to the young at certain fixed times, but also that every other subject taught, be permeated with Christian piety. If this is wanting, if this sacred atmosphere does not pervade and warm the hearts of masters and scholars alike, little good can be expected from any kind of learning, and considerable harm will often be the consequence."

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The second article:

The Kind of Student Essay You'll Never See Displayed on the Wall of a Public School


Sunday, February 24, 2008, 04:20 PM
"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

One of my sixth grade history students made a very interesting insight in a recent writing assignment. She noted that since everyone in medieval Europe shared a common faith in Christianity, that same Christian faith was not in any way divorced from medieval education. She further noted that in our own age, which deeply lacks that kind of spiritual unity, it is not at all uncommon for schools completely to ignore, or even to prohibit, the discussion of religion altogether.

She’s right, of course, and I’m afraid she has only scratched the surface of the issue. Religion is not the only subject which gets shortchanged at a non-Catholic school. In a very real sense, our Catholic faith influences the way that we approach every single subject. I am constantly reminded of this as I teach history. I’m not sure what the standard treatment of the medieval period looks like at a public school, but I am certain that it is very different from the sort of treatment it receives here at Holy Family Academy. And that is just one very obvious example.

Yesterday I started reading a batch of essays written by the seventh grade history students. They are currently working on an American civics unit, and for the last couple of days they’ve been considering the role of the Supreme Court within the scope of American government. Specifically they’ve been considering the whole problem of judicial activism. Their most recent assignment was to describe the nature of the problem in a paragraph essay. As I was reading these yesterday, it occurred to me that, should HFA be a public school instead of a private Catholic school, the seventh grade students would probably never broach the topic of judicial activism, because the subject would be seen as too politically contentious.

That is not something we worry about too much at Holy Family Academy, since we possess here a broad moral consensus which allows us to see eye-to-eye on important moral and political issues. It is exactly for this reason that we have absolutely no ambivalence whatsoever arguing that Roe vs. Wade was an abominable Supreme Court decision. And that is a very important thing, of course.

In hearty celebration of our broad moral consensus, I offer you a brief sample of seventh grade student writing from Holy Family Academy on the topic of judicial activism. I give you the essay entirely as it was when I first read it—completely unedited. I doubt you’ll ever see an essay like this in proud display at a public school.

“Judicial activism is when the Supreme Court judges legislate, or kill a law for the poor reason of not liking it. They shouldn’t be able to do this because it is not what the Framers intended them to do; the judges are supposed to care about the constitutionality of the law. When they reject a law, they say it is unconstitutional, but many times their argument has an insufficient basis. For example, in the case of Roe vs. Wade, the judges claimed it was a “right to privacy” to have the right to an abortion, when really, because there is no mention of abortion in the Constitution, it should be in the hands of the states. Because of judicial activism, or judicial veto, the Supreme Court has more power than it should possess.”
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080625-232809 I last wrote more than two weeks ago about Joseph Epstein's article on Kindergarchy in The Weekly Standard. I have since read the entire article, about a week ago, and I will give you a few of my thoughts from my memory.

His main point is that in today's world, kids are in charge. We don't live under a monarchy or an oligarchy but a kindergarchy. He spends the majority of his article talking about how he and others of his generation of baby-boomers grew up. Kids in his day were not the focus of attention and were given much freedom: he himself made all decisions about his education from age ten on, and when his parents went on vacation, they always went alone, leaving Joseph and his brother at home with a sitter. Kids back then had to make their own way, make their own decisions, and slowly come into a role of significance by earning it through patient perseverance.

His main issue with parents today is that they are far too involved in their children's lives, are far too controlling of what their children are doing, give far too much decision-making power to their children for what the family will do, and are much too easy on them, oftentimes coddling them, afraid to damage their children's delicate and all-important self-esteem.

I don't find his writing to be all that lucid or logical. He does not distinguish his points very well and often seems to be contradicting himself. Or maybe I am just a lazy reader. As I try to give order to his thoughts and points, I think I agree with some of what he is saying, and I disagree with some points, and some points I probably just plain missed.

I don't think it is just a matter between choosing involvement or non-involvement in one's children's lives. He is saying over-involvement is bad and little involvement is good. It is more complicated than that. I see children as a garden or a fruit tree which benefit from intelligent and regular and careful care. I am not going to manicure a perfect garden or a perfect fruit tree or a perfect child--that would be over involvement and more about me than about anything else. But I do want to be highly involved at the right times and in the right manner to facilitate optimum growth, self-confidence, and personal responsibility. Leaving the garden go to weed and seed is not a healthy garden; it may still do ok, but it is not what it could be; that seems to be the model he is advocating.


He thinks kids today think too highly of themselves and of their importance. I want my kids to know that apart from God and my wife, they are the most important people in my life. In that sense, I want them to think of themselves as extremely important. On the other hand, and this is where a large family comes in handy, they are not the center of my universe, or even of my family. They are not even the center of the other children. They are part of a larger group, and what they want at any particular moment is usually not what is going to happen. I want them to get accustomed to disappointments; they should not expect to always or often get what they want. Learning delayed gratification is important for maturity.

In a segment from what I quoted last entry, Joseph stated, "...Catholic education hadn't become indistinguishable from secular education." Back in the good old days when Catholic education was Catholic education and students were challenged and forced to learn Latin, and Catholic education was significantly different from any other type of education, the best students were a product of Catholic education. The high standards were set, and the students rose to meet and exceed those standards. This is the kind of language I like. I love a highly challenging, thoroughly Catholic in every respect, vigorous Catholic education. So many times I have seen students rise to the challenge of very high expectations to become some of the very best students, who loved to learn, loved to be challenged, and had real self-esteem because it was earned with their own sweat and tears.

Education is hard work. That is because life is hard work. We are preparing students for real life. Coddling kids and making them the center of attention does them no service. Thinking kids are perfect and whatever they want they should have and never telling them no ruins them. Usually the ones responsible for kids being too soft, too self-centered, spoiled and with a bad attitude is the parents who treat their kids like kings. Real self-esteem and maturity are the fruit of thinking enough of the kids to expect much from them together with giving them the encouragement they need by believing that they are able to achieve the seemingly-impossible goal. Kids love a challenge.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080610-161107 article by Joseph Epstein called “The Kindergarchy: Every child a dauphin," there is an interesting paragraph on old-school Catholic education. I admit, I have not read the whole article yet, but I will soon. I will read it and then give some thoughts on it, too.

Here is the paragraph which comes toward the end of the article:

“The most impressive students I had over my 30 years of university teaching were those I encountered when I first began, in the early 1970s, who almost all turned out to have been put through Catholic schools, during a time when priests and nuns still taught and Catholic education hadn't become indistinguishable from secular education. Many of these kids resented what they felt was the excessive constraint, with an element of fear added, of their education. Most failed to realize that it was this very constraint--and maybe a touch of the fear, too--that forced them to learn Latin, to acquire and understand grammar, to pick up the rudiments of arguing well, that had made them as smart as they were. “
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080610-132220 my other blog to read the Holy Father's message, followed by my thoughts.]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080528-003228
At every Mass we offer ourselves up to God. We do this when we say, “We lift them up to the Lord.” We also give Jesus our hearts when we say this. When at Mass, we exchange our hearts with Jesus. When we receive communion, we are actually receiving Jesus’ heart….There are many things for the Presentation of the Gifts. There are bread, water, wine, ourselves, and most importantly, our hearts.

We should always give thanks to God, no matter what the situation is. We should give thanks even if something bad has happened. We usually don’t think about thanking Jesus for giving us the chance to receive Him everyday. One time Jesus cured ten lepers. After that, only one of them thanked Jesus. Just think, if you give somebody your heart in communion and they don’t even thank you for it! How would that make you feel?

Another student wrote about the two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus when they met Jesus:

Jesus appeared to two of his disciples while they were on their way to Emmaus. They didn’t recognize him; He opened the scriptures to them and explained what they meant. They didn’t recognize him until they were eating and he broke the bread and blessed it. When they recognized him, he disappeared. When he disappeared, they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures” (Luke 24:32). Jesus explained the scriptures to them to prepare them for receiving the Eucharist. It is the same at every Mass. We are read the first reading, Psalm, epistle, and Gospel to open our hearts and prepare us for receiving the Eucharist; just like Jesus did on the road to Emmaus.

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The Holy Spirit gives us the seven gifts. They’re like presents, waiting to be opened; the decision to open them is ours, and to do it we must be holy. The seven gifts are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. These gifts are not meant to make ourselves great but to benefit others. Fruits of the Holy Spirit are “learned,” however; we earn them by using our gifts. The twelve fruits are: charity, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modest, self-control, and chastity. Jesus told us that we’ll produce these fruits only if we’re united to Him through prayer and sacraments. He is the vine; we are the branches, His plants. His “sap” is a symbol of His grace and power. Because our souls are like plants, we need to take care of them properly. We need sanctifying grace and the sacraments--a symbol of water, sunshine--a symbol of prayer, to live a good life--a symbol of soil, confession and penance--a symbol of weeding, sacrificing and avoiding sin--a symbol of pruning, and humiliations--a symbol of fertilizer or manure. If we do this, we will flourish with the fruits of the Holy Spirit and live with Jesus in heaven forever.



Gifts and fruits, in terms of the Holy Spirit, are often confused. Gifts are given to us like seeds by the Holy Spirit. They are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, piety, fear of the Lord, and fortitude. Like seeds, they must be watered, given sunlight, given soil, weeded, pruned, and given manure to grow well. These gifts are given these things by receiving the sacraments, praying, doing well in our situation or job in life, doing penance and confession, fasting, and enduring humiliations to humble ourselves, respectively. If we grow our seeds, our gifts, we will harvest the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Gifts are given and must be worked and used constantly. Fruits are harvested from this work. This is the difference.
]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080517-120739 http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080506-173044 True Freedom is the ability to wisely choose the right from the wrong. This choice is entirely ours because God gave us the gift of free will; we are able to choose our destiny. If we choose the good and the truth, it becomes easier and easier to accomplish, and our souls become a house for God. When we are full of God’s life in us, grace, we are entirely happy. Furthermore, we also have the choice of choosing the evil and the wrong which are entirely lies; there is no truth in them. When we repetitively choose the wrong, it becomes easier and easier to do because our conscience is fogged. Soon we are imprisoned within ourselves and are all alone; we are completely miserable. Freedom does not mean “no rules” or “I want to do what I want.” Freedom is the choice of choosing the right which is the truth
Even though we are born with free will, we must nurture freedom appropriately. Freedom requires training. By our choices we can grow or fail. We must form our conscience by truth. Even though doing the right thing does not always seem to be the most fun, we must always remember… “The truth will set you free.” (Jesus)
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The first Passover was when Abraham sacrificed Isaac on Mount Moriah. This also is the only place that God swears by Himself. He does this when He promises Abraham that his descendants will be like the stars. The second Passover is when the angel of death came over the people of Egypt, and Moses lead the Hebrews out of slavery. The third Passover is Jesus’ Last Supper and crucifixion. There are many similarities between the second Passover and the Last Supper. In the second Passover, the Israelites had to eat an unblemished lamb. In the Last Supper Jesus gives his body and blood to the disciples as the lamb. Usually you drank four ceremonial cups at the Passover, but Jesus stopped at three. On the cross at Calvary He was given wine on a hyssop branch, just like the Israelites had to put the lamb’s blood on hyssop to put it on their doorpost. After He drank He said, “It is finished” meaning that the Passover had been completed.


The word “transubstantiation” is when the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Jesus. At the miracle of Lanciano, when the priest consecrated the bread and wine, instead of them staying in the appearance of bread and wine they actually changed. The bread changed into real flesh and the wine changed into real blood. They took a part of the Host and examined it in their lab. It turned out to be real heart tissue. This proved that Jesus gives us his heart in communion. When the Host is consecrated there is absolutely no bread and wine anymore. It is really and truly Jesus’ body and blood.

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It was almost a week ago when the Pope spoke to young people and seminarians in New York a day before he left the U.S. I have wanted to write about it since then, but I have only just now made the time. I will provide the full text of his address, and at the end I will summarize parts of it and include my thoughts. Following is the full text as found on the Vatican website:
Address to Seminarians and Young People, St. Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie), New York
On Saturday 19 April 2008, the Holy Father gave the following address to the seminarians and youth gathered at St. Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie), New York.
Your Eminence,
Dear Brother Bishops,
Dear Young Friends,
“Proclaim the Lord Christ … and always have your answer ready for people who ask the reason for the hope that is within you” (1 Pet 3:15). With these words from the First Letter of Peter I greet each of you with heartfelt affection. I thank Cardinal Egan for his kind words of welcome and I also thank the representatives chosen from among you for their gestures of welcome. To Bishop Walsh, Rector of Saint Joseph Seminary, staff and seminarians, I offer my special greetings and gratitude.
Young friends, I am very happy to have the opportunity to speak with you. Please pass on my warm greetings to your family members and relatives, and to the teachers and staff of the various schools, colleges and universities you attend. I know that many people have worked hard to ensure that our gathering could take place. I am most grateful to them all. Also, I wish to acknowledge your singing to me Happy Birthday! Thank you for this moving gesture; I give you all an “A plus” for your German pronunciation! This evening I wish to share with you some thoughts about being disciples of Jesus Christ ─ walking in the Lord’s footsteps, our own lives become a journey of hope.
In front of you are the images of six ordinary men and women who grew up to lead extraordinary lives. The Church honors them as Venerable, Blessed, or Saint: each responded to the Lord’s call to a life of charity and each served him here, in the alleys, streets and suburbs of New York. I am struck by what a remarkably diverse group they are: poor and rich, lay men and women - one a wealthy wife and mother - priests and sisters, immigrants from afar, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior father and Algonquin mother, another a Haitian slave, and a Cuban intellectual.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Padre Felix Varela: any one of us could be among them, for there is no stereotype to this group, no single mold. Yet a closer look reveals that there are common elements. Inflamed with the love of Jesus, their lives became remarkable journeys of hope. For some, that meant leaving home and embarking on a pilgrim journey of thousands of miles. For each there was an act of abandonment to God, in the confidence that he is the final destination of every pilgrim. And all offered an outstretched hand of hope to those they encountered along the way, often awakening in them a life of faith. Through orphanages, schools and hospitals, by befriending the poor, the sick and the marginalized, and through the compelling witness that comes from walking humbly in the footsteps of Jesus, these six people laid open the way of faith, hope and charity to countless individuals, including perhaps your own ancestors.
And what of today? Who bears witness to the Good News of Jesus on the streets of New York, in the troubled neighborhoods of large cities, in the places where the young gather, seeking someone in whom they can trust? God is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the way. The path of that journey twists and turns ─ just as it did for our saints ─ through the joys and the trials of ordinary, everyday life: within your families, at school or college, during your recreation activities, and in your parish communities. All these places are marked by the culture in which you are growing up. As young Americans you are offered many opportunities for personal development, and you are brought up with a sense of generosity, service and fairness. Yet you do not need me to tell you that there are also difficulties: activities and mindsets which stifle hope, pathways which seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment but in fact end only in confusion and fear.
My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew – infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion – before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good. Many of your grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America precisely to escape such terror.
Let us thank God that today many people of your generation are able to enjoy the liberties which have arisen through the extension of democracy and respect for human rights. Let us thank God for all those who strive to ensure that you can grow up in an environment that nurtures what is beautiful, good, and true: your parents and grandparents, your teachers and priests, those civic leaders who seek what is right and just.
The power to destroy does, however, remain. To pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it never triumphs; it is defeated. This is the essence of the hope that defines us as Christians; and the Church recalls this most dramatically during the Easter Triduum and celebrates it with great joy in the season of Easter! The One who shows us the way beyond death is the One who shows us how to overcome destruction and fear: thus it is Jesus who is the true teacher of life (cf. Spe Salvi, 6). His death and resurrection mean that we can say to the Father “you have restored us to life!” (Prayer after Communion, Good Friday). And so, just a few weeks ago, during the beautiful Easter Vigil liturgy, it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God for our world, but with hope-filled confidence: dispel the darkness of our heart! dispel the darkness of our minds! (cf. Prayer at the Lighting of the Easter Candle).
What might that darkness be? What happens when people, especially the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression or manipulation rather than a hand of hope? A first group of examples pertains to the heart. Here, the dreams and longings that young people pursue can so easily be shattered or destroyed. I am thinking of those affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence, and degradation – especially of girls and women. While the causes of these problems are complex, all have in common a poisoned attitude of mind which results in people being treated as mere objects ─ a callousness of heart takes hold which first ignores, then ridicules, the God-given dignity of every human being. Such tragedies also point to what might have been and what could be, were there other hands – your hands – reaching out. I encourage you to invite others, especially the vulnerable and the innocent, to join you along the way of goodness and hope.
The second area of darkness – that which affects the mind – often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda.
Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth’s place – or better said its absence – an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a “freedom” which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others (cf. Spe Salvi, 28).
How then can we as believers help others to walk the path of freedom which brings fulfillment and lasting happiness? Let us again turn to the saints. How did their witness truly free others from the darkness of heart and mind? The answer is found in the kernel of their faith; the kernel of our faith. The Incarnation, the birth of Jesus, tells us that God does indeed find a place among us. Though the inn is full, he enters through the stable, and there are people who see his light. They recognize Herod’s dark closed world for what it is, and instead follow the bright guiding star of the night sky. And what shines forth? Here you might recall the prayer uttered on the most holy night of Easter: “Father we share in the light of your glory through your Son the light of the world … inflame us with your hope!” (Blessing of the Fire). And so, in solemn procession with our lighted candles we pass the light of Christ among us. It is “the light which dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride” (Exsultet). This is Christ’s light at work. This is the way of the saints. It is a magnificent vision of hope – Christ’s light beckons you to be guiding stars for others, walking Christ’s way of forgiveness, reconciliation, humility, joy and peace.
At times, however, we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt the strength of Christ’s radiance, to limit the horizon of hope. Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints. The diversity of their experience of God’s presence prompts us to discover anew the breadth and depth of Christianity. Let your imaginations soar freely along the limitless expanse of the horizons of Christian discipleship. Sometimes we are looked upon as people who speak only of prohibitions. Nothing could be further from the truth! Authentic Christian discipleship is marked by a sense of wonder. We stand before the God we know and love as a friend, the vastness of his creation, and the beauty of our Christian faith.
Dear friends, the example of the saints invites us, then, to consider four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocations.
What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer. God by his very nature speaks, hears, and replies. Indeed, Saint Paul reminds us: we can and should “pray constantly” (1 Thess 5:17). Far from turning in on ourselves or withdrawing from the ups and downs of life, by praying we turn towards God and through him to each other, including the marginalized and those following ways other than God’s path (cf. Spe Salvi, 33). As the saints teach us so vividly, prayer becomes hope in action. Christ was their constant companion, with whom they conversed at every step of their journey for others.
There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John, for example, tells us that to embrace God’s revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen (cf. 1 Jn 1:2-3; Dei Verbum, 1). Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness.
In the liturgy we find the whole Church at prayer. The word liturgy means the participation of God’s people in “the work of Christ the Priest and of His Body which is the Church” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7). What is that work? First of all it refers to Christ’s Passion, his Death and Resurrection, and his Ascension – what we call the Paschal Mystery. It also refers to the celebration of the liturgy itself. The two meanings are in fact inseparably linked because this “work of Jesus” is the real content of the liturgy. Through the liturgy, the “work of Jesus” is continually brought into contact with history; with our lives in order to shape them. Here we catch another glimpse of the grandeur of our Christian faith. Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the sacraments, Jesus is at work. Through the Holy Spirit, he draws you to himself, into his sacrificial love of the Father which becomes love for all. We see then that the Church’s liturgy is a ministry of hope for humanity. Your faithful participation, is an active hope which helps to keep the world – saints and sinners alike – open to God; this is the truly human hope we offer everyone (cf. Spe Salvi, 34).
Your personal prayer, your times of silent contemplation, and your participation in the Church’s liturgy, bring you closer to God and also prepare you to serve others. The saints accompanying us this evening show us that the life of faith and hope is also a life of charity. Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we must move (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 12). The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about you with Christ’s eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and justice? Many of the examples of the suffering which our saints responded to with compassion are still found here in this city and beyond. And new injustices have arisen: some are complex and stem from the exploitation of the heart and manipulation of the mind; even our common habitat, the earth itself, groans under the weight of consumerist greed and irresponsible exploitation. We must listen deeply. We must respond with a renewed social action that stems from the universal love that knows no bounds. In this way, we ensure that our works of mercy and justice become hope in action for others.
Dear young people, finally I wish to share a word about vocations. First of all my thoughts go to your parents, grandparents and godparents. They have been your primary educators in the faith. By presenting you for baptism, they made it possible for you to receive the greatest gift of your life. On that day you entered into the holiness of God himself. You became adoptive sons and daughters of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit. Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world, particularly those who may be struggling in any way – socially, materially, spiritually. Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life.
Gathered here at Saint Joseph Seminary, I greet the seminarians present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America. I am glad to know that your numbers are increasing! The People of God look to you to be holy priests, on a daily journey of conversion, inspiring in others the desire to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of believers. I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. Talk heart to heart with him. Reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism, or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you are to become living icons (cf. Pastores Dabo Vobis, 33). Dear seminarians, I pray for you daily. Remember that what counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love shine forth for others.
Religious Sisters, Brothers and Priests contribute greatly to the mission of the Church. Their prophetic witness is marked by a profound conviction of the primacy with which the Gospel shapes Christian life and transforms society. Today, I wish to draw your attention to the positive spiritual renewal which Congregations are undertaking in relation to their charism. The word charism means a gift freely and graciously given. Charisms are bestowed by the Holy Spirit, who inspires founders and foundresses, and shapes Congregations with a subsequent spiritual heritage. The wondrous array of charisms proper to each Religious Institute is an extraordinary spiritual treasury. Indeed, the history of the Church is perhaps most beautifully portrayed through the history of her schools of spirituality, most of which stem from the saintly lives of founders and foundresses. Through the discovery of charisms, which yield such a breadth of spiritual wisdom, I am sure that some of you young people will be drawn to a life of apostolic or contemplative service. Do not be shy to speak with Religious Brothers, Sisters or Priests about the charism and spirituality of their Congregation. No perfect community exists, but it is fidelity to a founding charism, not to particular individuals, that the Lord calls you to discern. Have courage! You too can make your life a gift of self for the love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member of the human family (cf. Vita Consecrata, 3).
Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free. With these sentiments of great hope in you I bid you farewell, until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day! And as a pledge of my love for you and your families, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.


Following is my summary and my thoughts:

The Holy Father’s main theme is being disciples of Jesus Christ and that when we walk in the Lord’s footsteps our own lives become a journey of hope. He then tells of the “six ordinary men and women who grew up to lead extraordinary lives.” These six were very different, and yet they did have something in common: “Inflamed with the love of Jesus, their lives became remarkable journeys of hope….For each there was an act of abandonment to God….”

People today are looking for someone they can trust. How do we bear witness to the One to be trusted? “God is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the way. The path of that journey twists and turns ─ just as it did for our saints ─ through the joys and the trials of ordinary, everyday life: within your families, at school or college, during your recreation activities, and in your parish communities.” That is the second time the word “ordinary” was used by the Pope in this document; only one paragraph separated the two usages. We bear witness to Jesus in faithfully living our ordinary life.

Our country has wonderful opportunities, and we tend to have a strong sense of generosity, service and justice. Yet there is a common mindset among many that promises to lead to happiness but only results “in confusion and fear.” This darkness overtakes both our hearts and minds. Our hearts are darkened by such things as “drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence, and degradation – especially of girls and women.” These, too, are different realities, and yet they “all have in common a poisoned attitude of mind which results in people being treated as mere objects ─ a callousness of heart takes hold which first ignores, then ridicules, the God-given dignity of every human being.” Our hearts are darkened when we treat ourselves or others as an object for our use or pleasure.

Darkness also burdens our minds; this entire paragraph is worth repeating: “The second area of darkness – that which affects the mind – often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda.”

Freedom is a delicate reality, very easily misunderstood and misused. We over-exalt freedom and worship it above all other realities, even that of the truth. “Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere.” Truth causes divisions and makes judgments, and what is seen as most important is freedom and not infringing on anyone else’s ideas. This steroid-laden freedom exalts the individual and each individual’s beliefs, making everyone’s views equally valid and important. We are not allowed to judge ideas or beliefs; there is no absolute truth; each of us has to create our own truth for ourselves: “This we call relativism.” Truth is the enemy. Freedom is the liberator.

That sort of freedom is a deep darkness leading to a lifeless despair. “Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others (cf. Spe Salvi, 28).” Jesus is the Truth, and we are truly free when we abandon ourselves into His hands and follow His footsteps. With a paragraph in between, the Holy Father restates this point: “Sometimes we are looked upon as people who speak only of prohibitions. Nothing could be further from the truth! Authentic Christian discipleship is marked by a sense of wonder. We stand before the God we know and love as a friend, the vastness of his creation, and the beauty of our Christian faith.” True Christians are truly free and freely seek the truth because they are in love with the Truth. We are in love with Jesus.

The majority of the remainder of this address is focused on “four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocations.” The very next sentence is: “What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God.” What a great sentence. Silent contemplation is essential to develop this relationship with God and gives us space to hear His whisper. Liturgical, sacramental prayer, especially the Mass and Confession, are the sources of abundant grace wherein the Holy Spirit “draws you to himself, into his sacrificial love of the Father which becomes love for all.”

Flowing out of our deep love of Christ deepened and nourished by our personal prayer, silent contemplation, and liturgical and sacramental life, we are prepared and moved to serve others and live a life of charity. This practical laying down of our lives for others in service and sacrifice, leads to vocations. Each person’s vocation is the particular way God has called an individual to lay down his life, to love, trust and obey God, and to be a person for others. “Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life….I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. Talk heart to heart with him….Remember that what counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love shine forth for others.”

Skipping a paragraph on religious life, I move on, finally, to the Holy Father’s concluding paragraph. This paragraph is worth repeating as well and marks a fine end to this rather long summary of his address: “Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free. With these sentiments of great hope in you I bid you farewell, until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day! And as a pledge of my love for you and your families, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.”]]> http://blogs.hfamn.org/biese/index.php?entry=entry080418-103902
Jesus gives His heart to the world through Baptism and the Eucharist. When people are born, they are born with water and blood. Jesus’ heart poured forth both blood and water, symbolizing the rebirth of the world that people gain in Baptism. The water can symbolize life and death, and the blood can as well. People did in Baptism and are reborn in Christ, the water and blood [acting as] fitting signs. The blood and water of Jesus’ heart show that He gives us His heart in His death, and we are reborn in it. His heart given to us in Baptism helps people to lay down their lives for Him, both literally and spiritually. His heart also comes to us through the Eucharist, because He laid down His life for the world and gave Himself over to the world. His heart helps us to be self-sacrificing lovers. What a tremendous gift, and what a great way to give it through the Eucharist and Baptism!

Second essay:

It’s amazing that Jesus became one of us, a man, when He has all the power in the universe and beyond at His fingertips. When Jesus died for us, He won for us the graces we need to transform our heart into a new heart to imitate Jesus, a self-sacrificing lover. He suffered great, unbearable pain; yet He endured it so we may be saved. Jesus’ Heart is the source of grace. We live through Him. When we receive the Eucharist at Mass, we don’t want to cast aside these precious graces, to lock Jesus in the closet of our heart [and ignore Him]. We need to pray, to ask for these holy graces, so that we can grow in virtue to please and love Jesus. When we fully embrace Him in heaven, we will experience perpetual and unimaginable grace and love from God.

Third essay:

Another way we can welcome Jesus into our hearts is by the Eucharist. But we must have open hearts during that time in order to receive the graces. We can’t just stick Jesus into the closet of our hearts and not pay attention to Him. That would be like getting Miley Cyrus over to your house and then quickly stuffing her into your closet and forgetting about her, except its much worse with Jesus. You can’t talk with someone very well when they’re behind closed doors and you’re on the other side, so, open the door to your heart, and you will be able to have Jesus’ life within you.]]>